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Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office receives national award for patriotism

Supporters wave American flags on Monday, Nov. 26, 2018, along Veterans Memorial Blvd., as hundreds of local soldiers of the Georgia Army National Guard 3rd Battalion, 121st Infantry unit set to leave for a nine-month deployment in Afghanistan. Three of them are deputies with the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office.

The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office has been awarded at the national level in allowing flexibility for deputies enlisted in both their office and the United States Armed Forces.

According to a post by the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook page, the U.S. Department of Defense and the Employer Support of the Reserve and Guard (ESGR) has awarded the sheriff’s office with the Patriotic Employer Award for the second year in a row for its support of deputies that were recently deployed overseas.

“The Patriot Award reflects the efforts made to support employee members of the National Guard or Reserve through a wide-range of measures including flexible schedules, time off prior to and after deployment, caring for families, and granting leaves of absence if needed,” the post said.

This year the sheriff’s office was nominated by FCSO Deputy J. Tomalka, one of three currently enlisted deputies who are employed by the sheriff’s office.

In his nomination, Tomalka apparently expressed his gratitude to the sheriff’s office, thanking them for the flexibility he has for trainings and other outside work events.

“All I can say is the time I’ve been with Forsyth has been truly outstanding,” Tomalka said. “I am truly impressed with the amount of support Forsyth has offered ... It was a no-brainer to put the Sheriff’s Office in for this award.”

Forsyth County Sheriff Ron Freeman said that it was an honor for his office to have three deputies that are “dual servants” serving both in the community and abroad.

“We are so proud of them and what they do,” Freeman said. “It’s an honor to get it and to support them.”